One More Step
by IceQueenJules26
Summary: Ash has done it. He's a pokemon Master. Theoretically, that means his journey is over - there's just one last thing for him to do before it truly is...


Ash sighed deeply as he walked the familiar road, Pikachu perched on his shoulder, the weight natural and welcomed. The sun was slowly setting behind them, but they both knew a new day would begin soon; a day completely different than before.

A day without travel, a day without the next adventure right ahead.

It felt foreign, wrong; yet, somehow, it was gratifying.

He was a pokemon master now. He had achieved everything he'd ever dreamed of.

Or, well… Not _everything_.

One thing was still there, poking his heart with every step; not painful, but unpleasant, like an itch he wasn't able to scratch. Seeing her again had not reawoken it - it had always been there, somewhere in the back of his mind - but vitalized it, as if it was a living, breathing thing that got food and water and was now more alive than ever.

He _wanted_ her.

And not just physically - though, admittedly, that did play a role - but mentally, and most importantly, emotionally. He wanted to hold her in his arms, to tell her all was great; that he was home for good and would never leave again - or at least not without her.

Sure, there would be challengers from time to time; meaning he'd have to fly out to the indigo plateau, and he would have stuff to do, but most of the time, he'd be home.

It was just that he didn't want home to mean the house his mom lived in - though that would always be home as well - he wanted home to mean the cerulean gym.

He wanted home to be where _she_ was.

Though, on some capacity, it already was. Sure, he could never say that out loud without starting a discussion he was in no way ready for, but the truth was, he'd never felt home anywhere - not really - since he'd left Kanto. One could argue that it was his home country, he grew up there, of course it would be home - but that didn't explain the feeling of home, of _belonging_, that one time he'd seen her in Hoenn.

Truth was, she already was his home. She just didn't know it yet.

And his journey would never be over until she did.

When he woke up the next morning, he was alone in his room. Theoretically, that wasn't too uncommon, Pikachu was usually up before him, but a look to his bed showed Ash his pokemon had clearly left in a hurry. And that could only mean one thing.

_She_ was here. The only question was: why?

He'd seen her just a day ago, plus, they had arranged to meet later that day, with Brock and Tracey and May, who was in Kanto visiting her best friend.

He showered and dressed quickly before he made his way downstairs, where he was stopped by a sight to behold just before stepping into the kitchen.

The sun fell in through the window in the back, lighting up her light red hair and making Ash feel like his world was ablaze, engulfed in flames - which was kind of ironic since her element was water.

"Misty," he greeted her with warmth in his voice that he just wasn't able to redeem. He stood rooted in the doorway, almost intimidated by her beauty, unable to make another step. When she turned around her blue eyes rivaled her hair in brightness, and Ash had to use all the aloofness he'd never possessed to stop himself from gasping for air.

He was drowning in a maelstrom of blue and red, water and fire, pulling him down, down, _down_, endlessly, timelessly, unstoppable. And he didn't even mind.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she said, no malice in her voice, just soft teasing; and a smile on her face as she beckoned him over.

He stepped closer hesitantly, still not sure why she was there, what she was doing in his home. He knew why she wanted her to be there, but he also knew it couldn't be the reason.

Her feelings for him were of a different kind.

But he'd have to live with it, he mused when he finally gathered the courage to take a seat next to her, had to live with all the awkwardness his confession would bring their friendship; because, as he learned the hard way on his long, long journey, only one thing was worse than failure: Never trying.

Maybe that was why he'd always chosen the next region, the next adventure, why he'd never stayed too long in one place. Because if he'd stood still for just a second too long the truth would've caught up with him - that _she_ was where his path was leading him, and that he at least needed to try.

Maybe he hadn't been ready.

Until now.

"Dehlia let me in before she went out, hope that's okay." Misty's voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he raised his head.

"Huh? Sure-" he trailed off, unable to stop a smile from taking over his face when he finally took a good look on her. He had been so engulfed by her eyes, her face, that he hadn't taken a look further down, but now he did, and what he saw spread a warmth through his body like warm caramel.

There, snuggled into her arms as close as possible, was his partner, his friend - his Pikachu. He was _Chuuuu_'ing happily as she caressed his fur, and Ash felt like his heart was about to burst. He had known the only reason for Pikachu to leave his bed so hastily would be her, but still he hadn't expected this - this impression of peace and normalcy.

Like her arms were where Pikachu belonged.

He petted his partner's head softly, and he looked up, a look in his eyes that told his trainer everything.

_Don't let her leave us again. Please._

Ash took a long breath.

"He missed you, you know," he said as he looked at them, the warmth still swirling through his veins. She raised an eyebrow. "_He_ did, huh?"

Ash felt blood rushing into his cheeks and broke into a lopsided grin. "Well, he wasn't the only one."

She chuckled, then she caught his eyes, suddenly entirely serious. "Good," she said, the implication clear, and his heart jumped a mile in his chest.

"Misty, I-"

He couldn't bring himself to finish. He had the words all in his head, knew what he needed to say, he just_ couldn't_; it was like they were stuck in his throat and not moving an inch.

Then he recognized the look in her eyes, the encouragement shining in them, but also the challenge. Because that was what she did: challenge him to be a better person, to be happier, more himself, every day. Even when he had traveled without her, he'd always felt it; had felt her demands, had heard her voice in his head: _I dare you to be the best you can be_.

He never would've become pokemon master without her, and he knew it.

"I love you."

The words suddenly fell out of his mouth, unintentional, unprompted; still, he welcomed them with open arms. He hadn't been certain of the debths of his feelings for her until he saw her again, sitting in his stands, cheering for him, but since then it had been set in stone for him, and there was nothing that could've changed it.

"I had this whole speech prepared about how much you mean to me, and to him," he said with a wink to his partner, still happily snuggled into her arms, "but you know I've never been a person of words. I just - I need you to know that I love you."

Tears were swimming into her eyes now, and he laid a hand on her knee as he leaned over. "This is the end of my journey, Mist. Not the League, not the spot as the Pokemon Master. The last step has always been the step to you."

One more look into her bright blue eyes, then, suddenly, her lips were on his and time stood still.

When they broke apart, everything was still the same, but monumentally different at the same time; it was like the world had always been spinning a little wrong, a little lopsided, but now it was knocked into the correct axis, locked and secured - things had never felt so _right_.

"I love you too, Ash," she answered, tears in her eyes but a certainty in his voice that shook him right to his very core.

"Pikachuuuuuuu!"

His pokemon had jumped out her arms right onto the table, and Ash and Misty grinned as he jumped up and down in excitement. "He's not letting you go again, you know," Ash said. She chuckled. "I bloody hope so."

Then they were kissing again, and something inside of Ash fell into place. His journey was truly over now -

but another, even more beautiful one, was just beginning.


End file.
